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Officials now must pay for airport parking
Spurred by the Legislature's ban on gifts for public officials, the Tampa International Airport board revokes parking passes.
By JEAN HELLER
Published January 6, 2006
TAMPA - The new legislative gift ban has prompted Tampa International Airport to eliminate free parking for all elected officials, even those who aren't in the Legislature.
The revocation, passed unanimously Thursday by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, will stand even if it is later determined that such privileges are legal.
Since most elected officials are reimbursed for official business expenses, it is likely taxpayers will pay the bill.
The authority board decided last month to rescind lifetime parking passes held by former board members and others who served the airport in some capacity. But it decided to continue free parking for elected officials on official business travel.
But the same day the board made that decision, the Florida Legislature banned gifts to legislators.
"Parking before had not been classified as a gift," TIA general counsel Gigi Rechel told the board Thursday. But now, she said, parking is considered an expenditure on behalf of legislators. Exactly what that means is unclear, but Rechel didn't want to take any chances.
"In an abundance of caution, we are recommending that the practice stop," Rechel said.
Some legislators have asked for legal opinions about what is covered in the new law. But Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, a member of the airport board, suggested those opinions shouldn't matter.
It should apply to "all elected officials, and they can get reimbursement if they're on official business," Iorio said.
To which Hillsborough Commissioner Thomas Scott, also a board member, responded, "So now they'll just expense it, and it will come back to the taxpayers."
Elected officials had to request free parking and there had been only 41 such requests, said airport spokeswoman Brenda Geoghagan.
Airport board members will continue to get free parking, but that perk ends when they leave the board. They are appointed to their posts, not elected.
THE END OF FREE PARKING
The following elected officials received free parking at Tampa International Airport for business travel:
U.S. REPRESENTATIVES: Ginny Brown-Waite, Katherine Harris, Adam Putnam, C.W. Bill Young
STATE SENATORS: Michael S. Bennett, Lisa Carlton, Victor Crist, Paula Dockery, Mike Fasano, Dennis Jones, Les Miller, Jim Sebesta
STATE REPRESENTATIVES: Kevin Ambler, Kim Berfield, Faye Culp, Frank Farkas, Bill Galvano, Richard Glorioso, Bob Henriquez, Ed Homan, Arthenia Joyner, Charlie Justice, Ken Littlefield, John Legg, Frank Peterman Jr., Ron Reagan, Everett Rice, Dennis Ross, David D. Russell Jr., John Stargel, Trey Traviesa
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: Brian Blair, Ken Hagan, Mark Sharpe
PINELLAS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: Ronnie Duncan, Calvin Harris, Susan Latvala, John Morroni, Karen Williams Seel, Robert Stewart, Kenneth T. Welch
[Last modified January 6, 2006, 01:03:09]
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